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Cat names
__NOWYSIWYG__ In the Warriors books, the naming of cats follows a certain pattern. Every cat has a name to be identified by. They call each other by their given names at birth. It is up to the mother to decide the names of the kits. In a Clan, the name of a new kit is given with the suffix -kit at the end. In Twoleg territory, cats giving birth do not name their own kit. Most of the time a Twoleg does it for them.Such as Purdy However, in some cases, a cat may name her own kits and get away from the Twolegs. Clan Names The names of Clan cats are constructed from two words (for example Bramble+Claw or Squirrel+Flight). Both of these words pertain to things or notions known to the Clan cats, and usually describe the appearance and / or the personality of the cat. These can be of the following: *'Colors and Patterns:' White,Such as Whitewing GoldenSuch as Goldenflower, Dark,Such as Darkstripe SpottedSuch as Spottedleaf *'Attributes:' Brave,Such as Braveheart Sharp,Such as Sharpclaw Sweet,Such as Sweetpaw WildSuch as Wildfur *'Body Parts:' Claw,Such as Clawface Heart,Such as Brightheart Foot,Such as Ashfoot Tail,Such as Sunnytail FurSuch as Lilyfur *'Plants and Animals:' Birch,Such as Birchfall Holly,Such as Hollyleaf Hawk,Such as Hawkfrost TigerSuch as Tigerstar FlowerSuch as Flowerstar *'Nature:' Cloud,Such as Cloudtail Sand,Such as Sandstorm Stream,Such as Silverstream StoneSuch as Stonefur MoonSuch as Moonflower *'Phenomena:' Fire,Such as Firestar Mist,Such as Mistkit (TC) Night,Such as Nightstar StormSuch as Featherstorm *'Action:' Pounce,Such as Pouncetail Running,Such as Runningnose Leap,Such as Rabbitleap SwiftSuch as Swiftbreeze Names are short, containing generally two or three syllables. First Part of the Name The first part (prefix) is given by the kit's parents upon its birth. The names can be of the following: *Pertaining to the kit's appearance (Fox- for reddish coat, Tiny- for small size, Squirrel- for bushy tail) *In honor of another cat or ancestor (Leaf- in honor of Leafstar and possibly Spottedleaf, Tiger- in honor of Tigerstar, Cinder- in honor of Cinderpelt) *Some event pertaining to the birth or life of the kit (Storm- for being born in a storm) *Other, seemingly unrelated to either (Holly-, Petal-) Second Part of the Name Kits, apprentices and leaders have ''-kit'', ''-paw'' and ''-star'' respectively as the second part (suffix) of their names by tradition. *Examples: Whitekit, Whitepaw, Whitestar The suffix of warrior and medicine cat names are assigned by the Clan Leader, (or Medicine Cat, respectively) though they (or in some cases one of their parents) can request a specific name for themselves, if they wish.As Crowpaw did, asking Tallstar in Dawn to name him Crowfeather, in honor of Feathertail *Examples: Whitestorm, Whitetail, Whitewing Reserved Words The following notions are generally not used in Clan names (although some have been occasionally): *''-star, -kit'' and -''paw'' are reserved as leader, kit, and apprentice suffixes (e.g. Fire''star'', Cherry''kit'', Mole''paw'') However, Tribe names use these words for their names.Such as Star That Shines On Water *''Spirit-'', as this represents a sacred notion *''Shadow-'', Thunder-'', ''River-'', ''Wind-'', and ''Sky-'' in honor of the Clan foundersSuch as Shadow who first had the names **However, ''Sky-'' is used as a prefix and suffix with no regard to the tradition since most cats do not know about SkyClanSuch as Brightsky and Skyheart * "Moon-" is a name reserved for places sacred to the Clans as places where leaders and medicine cats may commune with StarClan (such as the Moonpool and the Moonstone). The only known exception to this was Bluestar's mother, who was named Moonflower; however, Erin Hunter stated they could not change her name to Duskflower due to too many uses of Moonflower. Addressing Each Other Clan Cats call each other by their full names, even if they are kin.For example, in ''Twilight and Sunset, Tigerstar, Brambleclaw, and Hawkfrost call each other by name, instead of "Father", "Son", "Brother." In Outcast, Hollypaw calls Squirrelflight by her name, instead of "Mother" They do not use pet names, shortened names or titles. There are two exceptions to this rule.Poppydawn calling her daughter, Sweetpaw, by her prefix, Sweet. Revealed in Bluestar's Prophecy, page 269When Lionblaze called his brother, Jayfeather, "Jay" in Night Whispers It is considered rude and disrespectful to address a cat by his or her former name (that referred to a lower rank), for example, to address a warrior by their apprentice name or a leader by their warrior name. Name Change If a name does not suit a Clan cat anymore, the Clan leader can decide to change their name via a Name Changing Ceremony. This often happens when a cat receives a significant injury, although it also happens when a warrior retires to the elder's den.Such as One-eye For example, after Sparrowpelt had lost part of his tail in a fight with a badger, he was renamed Halftail. The Clan leader can also change a name at the request of another warrior. Tribe Names According to tradition, Tribe kits are named for the first thing their mother sees when they are born. For example: Brook Where Small Fish Swim or Star That Shines On Water. These are usually shortened in conversations (like Brook or Star). Tribe cats' names do not modify through their lives, except for the Healer, whose name is changed into Teller of the Pointed Stones (Stoneteller) upon appointment. Ancient Names The names of The Ancients who lived by the lake and were the ancestors of the Tribe of Rushing Water are all two word constructions, relating to nature and often describing the cat's appearance as well.Such as Fallen Leaves Examples are Jay's Wing, Dark Whiskers, or Stone Song. Loner and Rogue Names Similarly to Clan cats, loners and rogues have names pertaining to things or notions known to them (like Barley or Patch). Loners or rogues living close to Twolegs (or those who used to be kittypets) may assume the names given to them by the Twolegs (like Sasha or Smoky). Cats who live in the Twolegplace may have names of Twoleg words, such as Dodge, Raindrop, or Skipper. Upon joining a Clan, a loner or rogue may agree to change their name into a Clan name (like Hawk becoming Hawkpaw or Scratch becoming Sharpclaw), or not (like Boulder or Millie). A loner or rogue may change their own name by their own initiative, like Tiny changing his to Scourge.Revealed in The Rise of Scourge, Page 50 Kittypet Names Kittypets assume the names given to them by the Twolegs (such as Jake or Susan). This hints that they understand Twoleg speech to some degree.For example, Rusty, Princess, Smudge etc all refer to themselves and to each other by the names given to them by the Twolegs. In Midnight, Purdy says "Upwalkers called me different names... the Upwalker who had the fire called me Purdy" Upon joining a Clan, a kittypet may agree to change their name into a Clan name (Rusty, for example, becoming Firepaw), or not (for example, Millie.) References and Citations See Also *A list of prefixes and suffixes used in the books *General Clan Information Category:Reference